Born to the Wild
by Gendie01
Summary: Being a human and being a cat are two completely different things. I can only hope the culture shock doesn't kill me. Self Insert. Minor AU.
1. Apprenticeship 001

If there was one thing I really missed when I was reborn as a cat, it was clocks. We as human's take clocks for granted, but cats didn't have clocks, their relationship to time was determined by terms such as sunup, sundown, sunhigh, and moonhigh. There were of course relative terms like close to sun down, just after/before sun high, little mid sun(for the mid point between sun up and sun high), big mid sun (between sun high and sun down), and similar terms for night-time.

I really missed being able to tell time more precisely because it would make it easier to stick to a schedule, easier to tell if I was improving or not.

Of course, it was just one of many things I missed from being human, aside from things like TV, video games, a wider food palate that didn't include vermin, sleeping with a roof over my head in a soft Tempur-Pedic mattress, and not having to suckle from a cats teat if I was hungry, among other things.

I sighed as I finished my morning meal, and sat up from the soft downy fur of Willowpelt's belly, before walking over to the entrance of the nursery. It was just after sun up, and the camp was waking up. The dawn patrol, consisting of Tigerclaw, Whitestorm, and Mousefur, was getting ready to leave, while Bluestar stood nearby, talking to them. There was a slight disturbance at the entrance to the camp, which signaled the arrival of Sandpaw and Dustpaw, who had been out hunting during the night.

They appeared to be carrying a lot of fresh kill, and they quickly made their way over to the fresh kill pile, dumping their load before picking some for themselves. They then walked over to the nearby apprentices den, where they started to eat and share tongues.

The was a great rustling as the rest of the camp started to wake up. Warriors started to emerge from the warriors den, receiving their orders and heading off into the forest. For a while, the camp was very busy, as warriors came and went, going about their business, but it didn't take long for the camp to settle down again.

This was the way it was in ThunderClan camp: brief moments of great upset as the warriors came and went at their scheduled times, before setting down to a long stillness. It would be this way until sun high, and sundown, and moon high as well.

I like these still moments just after sun up the most, as usually there was the least amount of cats in the camp at this time, which meant I was unlikely to disturb anyone with my training.

I was brought back to the present by Bluestar, who was standing just outside of the nursery entrance.

"Hello, Frogkit," said Bluestar softly. "is Willowpelt awake?"

"Er, yeah," I said, backing up to let Bluestar into the den. Bluestar squirmed into the nursery, shifting aside the bramble walls, which made enough noise to wake the younger kits Cinderkit and Brackenkit, who had been born half a moon before today. They started mewling their distress, before their mother Frostfur woke up and tended to them.

"Oops, sorry Frostfur," said Bluestar apologetically.

"That's alright, Bluestar," said Frostfur sleepily. I took that as my cue to leave the nursery.

After slowly making my way out as to not make anymore noise, I walked over to one of the less traveled spots in the camp, on the other side of the Highrock to the entrance. I had chosen this spot in particular because I wanted to avoid causing problems for other cats in the area.

Kits were technically forbidden to leave the camp without an escort, so I had to perform my daily exercise inside the camp. My exercise routine was mainly comprised of jumping. I had two jumping styles that I would practice: the standard jump, where I tried to jump as high as I could, and the pouncing jump, where I jumped and tried to land on a precise spot a few paw-steps away from me.

I had performed this jumping exercise for about two moons by now, and I could now jump up to five feet in the air, which was pretty high for a kit like me, so high that my mother had decided to rename me as Frogkit, instead of Whitekit which was my old name.

Following this jumping routine, I would do a few laps, running around the Highrock, before returning to the nursery. When anybody asked why I did what I did, I would simply reply that it was training for when I was a warrior, but in reality it was so that I would be able to escape if I ever found myself in a bad position.

I just knew, deep down, in my very soul, that there would be a day where I needed to jump high enough, or run fast enough, or I would dead. I wanted to make sure I was ready for that day, for it could come at any moment, but in particular I was thinking about those crazy dogs in book five: A Dangerous Path. I didn't want to be caught on the wrong end of that particular disaster.

I was just finishing up my jumping routine when Graykit arrived.

"Hey Frogkit," he said, watching me do a jump. "Mom wants you to come back to the nursery."

"Why?" I asked curiously when I landed. It was rare for Willowpelt to interrupt my training. She was normally quite proud.

"She wants to groom us for the Naming Ceremony," Graykit said with joy. "We're finally gonna be apprentices finally!"

I blinked. "Wow, so soon?"

"Yeah, we're six moons, remember?" Graykit replied, cocking his head curiously. "you didn't remember? I don't think I could have forgot even if I wanted to!"

"I had other things on my mind," I said simply, walking over to nuzzle him on the nose. "Well, lets get going, I want to get this over with."

I hated getting groomed by Willowpelt. Don't get me wrong, she was careful and her tongue was soft, but it was another reminder that I wasn't human anymore. People didn't lick each other all over unless they were in an intimate relationship, but as a cat it was common place. I was still having a hard time getting used to it.

OO

"Let all those cats old enough to catch their own pray join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting."

The sound of Bluestar's great caterwaul rippled like a shock-wave through out the camp, signaling for cats to arrive into the clearing in front of the Highrock. Willowpelt ushered me and my siblings( Graykit and Ravenkit) to the front of the Highrock, where we sat, looking at the three Warriors we would be apprenticed to.

Tigerclaw and Lionheart were there, along with a dark haired, striped tabby tom I recognized as Darkstripe. Once I spotted the sleek-haired tom, a slight chill ran down my back. Was I to be apprenticed to Darkstripe? That... wasn't ideal, really wasn't ideal, but I could put up with it.

Darkstripe had just finished training Longtail a moon ago, and had once been Tigerclaw's apprentice. In the books Darkstripe had been like the Dragon to Tigerclaw's big bad, and he was bound to hold some conservative views like not allowing kittypets into the clan, or not helping Windclan return to the forest, and would undoubtedly hope to pass on those views to me.

Bluestar gazed around at the assembly of cats, before looking at me and my brothers each in turn. "This sunhigh, we gather together to name three new apprentices. Come forward, you three."

My brothers and I walked forward, Graykit more excitedly, while Ravenkit and I took more measured steps.

Bluestar looked at Graykit first. "From this day forward, until he had earned his Warrior name, this apprentice will be called Graypaw. Lionheart will be his mentor."

"Graypaw! Graypaw!" chorused the rest of the clan.

"Lionheart, you were trained by Swiftbreeze. I hope you pass along her skill and courage as you train Graypaw. "

"Thank you, Bluestar," Lionheart mewed as he nuzzled Graypaw.

Bluestar looked at Ravenkit now. "This apprentice shall be known as Ravenpaw. Tigerclaw will be his mentor."

"Ravenpaw! Ravenpaw!" chorused the clan.

"Tigerclaw, I hope you pass along some of Thistleclaw's ferocity and prowess as you train this apprentice."

Tigerclaw was silent as he walked forward to nuzzle Ravenpaw's nose. He looked very proud.

Then Bluestar looked at me. "And this apprentice will be known as Frogpaw. Darkstripe will be his mentor."

"Frogpaw! Frogpaw!" Then the clan was chorusing my name.

"Darkstripe, Tigerclaw was your mentor. I expect you to pass along some of Tigerclaw's cunning and intellect as you train this apprentice."

Darkstripe walked forward, and we touched noses. The cat in front of me seemed to be proud, with no hint of his dark future in his eyes.

I could only hope that when Firepaw arrived, my mentor wouldn't try to stop me being friends with him.


	2. Apprenticeship 002

"So..." I said, looking at Darkstripe curiously. "What are we going to do today?"

We were still standing together in the middle of camp. The Clan had mostly cleared out by now, and it was the three mentors and their apprentices standing there.

"I thought I might show you the Clan's boarders today," said Darkstripe calmly. "You need to know our boarders before you can hunt in them."

"Ok," I said, looking at Tigerclaw, who was standing nearby with Ravenpaw. "Is Tigerclaw and Ravenpaw going to come with us?"

I turned my head back to Darkstripe, who was looking at Tigerclaw with a slight frowned. Curious, I thought he worshiped the ground Tigerclaw walked on.

"No, Tigerclaw likes to… _test_… his apprentices on the first day," said Darkstripe overtly. "He wouldn't want anyone else with him."

"I take it you were the victim of one of these tests?" I asked with a wry tone.

Darkstripe glared at me. "Don't speak of what you don't understand, _apprentice_. Just be grateful that I won't inflict the same test on you. Now come, we've got a lot of ground to cover and I want to be back before sundown."

He stood up and started padding over to the gorse tunnel that led out of the camp. I stood up and followed him.

We met Lionheart and Graypaw there, who were also just about to leave.

"Hello, Darkstripe," said the golden tabby when we reached him. "Off to show your apprentice the boarders?"

"Yes," said Darkstripe calmly. "You as well?"

"Of course," Lionheart replied. "Perhaps we could go together."

"I'd rather not," said Darkstripe stiffly. "I would prefer to be alone so I can get to know Frogpaw better."

I was mostly quiet during this short conversation, but then Graypaw spoke up.

"Please? I'd really like to see the boarders with Frogpaw!" he said excitedly.

I remained silent, looking to Darkstripe for his word.

Darkstripe looked from Graypaw to me, then back at Lionheart. "No."

OO

I followed Darkstripe as we ran though the underbrush of the forest. We were running, but due to my extensive training in that regard, I had no problem keeping up with him.

Suddenly, Darkstripe came to a halt, and lowered his head to sniff the ground. With a start, I realize we had come upon a trail in the underbrush. It wasn't a trail made by twolegs, instead it seemed like a track made by deer.

"Can you smell that, Frogpaw?" Darkstripe asked.

I lowered my head to sniff the ground. There was a strong smell of fox.

"Fox," I said calmly.

"And how long ago was it here," he asked insistently.

I sniffed again. The smell was somewhat fresh, but I could tell it hadn't been here recently. "a few hours ago at most."

"Good," said Darkstripe approvingly. "We'll have to tell Redtail when we get back to camp. Can't have a fox wandering around the forest, it's a danger to the kits."

I nodded, while frowning internally. It was another thing I had to get used to as a cat: the heightened sense of smell.

As a human, I would mainly use smell to tell if something tasted good, or if I was breathing in the fumes of something bad. But now I could use smell to determine the discriminant details of my environment. It was like looking at dirt and instantly being able to tell what kinds of creepy crawly things were growing in there, as well as who or what had stepped in that dirt standard hours before.

It was disorienting and amazing, and I had not realized just how much I was missing before.

"Where are we going first, Darkstripe?" I asked as we started running again.

"The twoleg place," he replied shortly.

OO

We walked behind the bushes that seperated the Thunder clan boarder from the twoleg place. Just beyond the bushes, I could make out what looked like a gravel pathway, along with houses and fenced off backyards. The houses looked so big from this close to the ground, and the fences looked like an impassable barrier.

I sniffed the ground and could make out the scent of other cats, along with the dust of the gravel and the fumes of cars.

"There are cats that live here?" I asked Darkstripe.

"Yes," said Darkstripe curtly. "Kittypets who live in the Twoleg nests."

"Are they dangerous?" I asked, playing the clueless apprentice.

Darkstripe scoffed. "Not usually. They eat pellets that look like mouse droppings and soft slop, so they're usually fat and lazy, and get fatter and lazier after they go to the Cutter."

"The Cutter?" I asked.

"A twoleg that takes away their tomhood or queenhood," Darkstripe said simply. "That's the fate of all kittypets, Frogpaw. Take care that you never become one."

I shuddered. While I understood why the twolegs did that, as a cat myself I wouldn't want anyone to suffer that fate.

"The kittypets usually make these bushes as their boundary," said Darkstripe. "So we mark the other side as ours. If you ever see a kittypet in our territory, make sure to chase them off before they can steal any freshkill, understand?"

I nodded. "If they're as soft as you say they are, it should be easy."

OO

I heard the Thunderpath before I smelt it, and smelt it before I saw it. Being a former human, roads held no mystery for me. I knew their purpose, knew what the monsters were, and knew how to safely cross it without the risk of hurt.

Of course, knowing this didn't actually translate well into calmness when I saw the Thunderpath for the first time in this life. From this angle so close to the ground, the cars speeding by really did seem like monsters, and my heightened sense of smell caused the gas fumes to make me cough a lot.

"I had the same reaction when I first saw the Thunderpath," Darkstripe commented idly while I coughed away. "Those fumes are so terrible."

"Y-yes," I wheezed, struggling to draw in a breath. "I didn't know they were this strong, though."

"It's the worst near the Twoleg place," said Darkstripe. "As we get closer and closer to Fourtrees the fumes won't be as bad."

"And Shadowclan is on the other side?" I asked.

"Yes, though we can't smell their scent here," he replied. "When we get to Fourtrees I will show you what they smell like. Now, follow me."

For the next while we ran along the Thunderpath, behind the bushes, and Darkstripe was true to his word; the fume's smell lessened as we got farther away from the Twoleg place. Eventually, I was able to distinguish a deep, boggy smell from the Thunderpath fumes, which I assumed was the smell of Shadowclan.

"Is that boggy smell the smell of Shadowclan?" I asked Darkstripe when we paused for a few moments to catch our breath.

"Yes," said Darkstripe, a bit surpised that I had recognized it. "Shadowclan lives in a marsh on the other side of the Thunder path. They say that the cold wind that blows from the north chills their hearts. Never get on the wrong side of a Shadow clan warrior, Frogpaw. You won't like the experience."

"Are they really ferocious in battle?" I asked curiously.

"Not exactly," said Darkstripe in a lecturing tone. "They're really fond of dirty tactics, like kicking dirt in your eyes, or pulling on your tail. They have no real respect for the Warrior code, and aren't as honorable as us Thunder clan cats."

I tilted my head quizzically. "How are they clan cats if they don't respect the warrior code, then? I thought that it was the Warrior code that made a clan cat."

"I don't know," said Darkstripe in an unsure tone, as if he had never actually considered the idea. "A question for Bluestar or Spottedleaf, I think."

We picked up again, continuing on our way to Fourtrees, where we met Lionheart and Graypaw again. Lionheart had a frown on his face when we found them, but he perked up when we arrived.

"Hey Frogpaw, Darkstripe," Graypaw greeted us exuberantly when we arrived. "You'll never believe what we found!"

"Graypaw!" said Lionheart sharply, glaring at Graypaw, before turning to Darkstripe. "Hello Darkstripe, just got here from the Thunder path, I see."

"Yes," said Darkstripe, before looking at me. "Frogpaw here is proving to be an attentive and bright apprentice. A lot better than Longtail, I might add."

"I see," said Lionheart with a thoughtful frown, turning back to Graypaw. "I think I know someone who should be a bit more attentive instead of running off all the time."

Graypaw had the decency to look sheepish. "Sorry Lionheart."

I padded up to him, rubbing my face against his neck. "What did you find?"

"There were a log of Riverclan scent markers at Sunning Rocks," Graypaw said excitedly. "We even saw a Riverclan patrol going the other way on our way to Fourtrees."

I frowned. "Why is that important?"

"It's important because it's a deliberate statement of ownership of Sunning Rocks by Riverclan," said Lionheart sharply. "Which means that we will have to take it back. There may be a battle."

"There _will_ be a battle," Darkstripe corrected. "And many cats could die."

"What I don't understand is why Riverclan would do this now," said Lionheart, with a confused furrowed brow. "The forest has been at peace for many moons, and Riverclan grows fat on fish. Why do they want Sunning Rocks?"

Darkstripe grunted. "Riverclan and Thunderclan have been fighting over Sunning Rocks since before I was kitted. This is just the next battle in the long war."

"That's probably so," Lionheart sighed. "Well, we should get back to camp, with Riverclan being so hostile it isn't safe for new apprentices to be out and about."

"Probably a good idea," Darkstripe agreed.

Without another word, we turned and headed back to camp, the sunset shining behind us.


	3. Apprenticeship 003

The sun had just gone under the horizon when we arrived back at camp. After crouching under the gorse tunnel back into camp, Darkstripe turned to me.

"Get something to eat, then go to sleep," he said sternly. "I want you up at dawn tomorrow so I can show you how to hunt."

I blinked in surprise. "uh, yes Darkstripe."

That was sudden. I hoped Darkstripe wasn't one of those teachers that liked to control their student's every move.

"Well, get going then," Darkstripe replied, before running off to the Highrock, following Lionheart, who was also padding in that direction.

"Darkstripe seems pretty stern," mewled Graypaw, who was standing nearby. "Was he like that all day today?"

"No," I replied shortly, before starting to walk to the freshkill pile. "Come on, let's get something to eat."

"Yeah!" Graypaw perked up. "We get to have our first freshkill!"

"Mousebrain, we've had freshkill before," I replied fondly as he padded along side me.

"Never to ourselves, though," he pointed out. "We usually have to share."

"Trust you to think of your stomach," I teased.

When we got to the freshkill pile, I picked out what seemed to be a particularly plump mouse, while Graypaw got a thrush. Then we trotted over to the mossy tree stump, where Sandpaw and Dustpaw were already eating.

"Ah, the new apprentices, here to eat their first freshkill," said Dustpaw wryly. "Just came back from the border inspection?"

"Yeah, and you'll never guess what we found!" said Graypaw excitedly, like the young cat he was.

"What Graypaw and Lionheart found," I corrected. "Darkstripe took me the other way, towards Twoleg place."

"Ew, no wonder you smell like a kittypet," Sandpaw sniffed rudely. "Did you fight a kittypet or something?"

"No, the kittypets didn't dare show their faces," I scoffed. "We also found a fox trail. I'm pretty sure Darkstripe is talking to Bluestar about it right now."

"A fox? In Thunderclan territory?" asked Dustpaw, who looked worried. "That can't be good. If I remember correctly, Halftail got his tail bitten off by a fox."

"I thought it was a badger?" asked Graypaw quizzically.

"He told me it was an owl," said Sandpaw, looking annoyed.

"Seems like Halftail is pretty fond of tall-tales," I said, amused. "Regardless, Darkstripe said that foxes like to eat kits, so the warriors are probably going to drive it off."

"Well that's a relief," said Sandpaw snarkily. "Luckily you're not kits anymore so we don't have to worry about you."

"Yeah- Hey!" yelled Graypaw, realizing what Sandpaw actually meant batting her on the head with his paw. "Don't be so mean."

"Can't help it, you padded right into that one," she smiled.

"Anyway, Graypaw, you were going to tell them what you and Lionheart found?" I prodded him.

"Oh, right," said Graypaw, eye's widening, before he turned back to Sandpaw and Dustpaw. "We found a lot of Riverclan scent markers at Sunning Rocks!"

Sandpaw and Dustpaw looked shocked.

"Riverclan scent markers at Sunning Rocks?" said Dustpaw quietly. "That can't be good."

"Yeah, we will have to take Sunning Rocks back," I said, looking at him. "Darkstripe says there's going to be a battle."

"Maybe we will get to fight!" said Sandpaw excitedly. "I've never been in a battle before."

"You've been apprentices for less than a moon," I pointed out. "Your mentors might not think you're experianced enough."

"Then we will just have to train harder," said Dustpaw decisively, before going back to eating.

"Yeah, I'll ask Whitestorm for more training tomorrow," said Sandpaw.

"Speaking of training, where is Ravenpaw?" asked Graypaw, looking around the camp. "You'd think he and Tigerclaw would be back by now."

As if summoned by Graypaw's words, Ravenpaw staggered into camp down the gorse tunnel, followed by an irate Tigerclaw. Ravenpaw looked utterly exhausted as he walked over to us, and he was wobbling on his paws when he finally sat down. He looked down at his paws, as if in a daze.

"Ravenpaw, are you alright?" I asked concernedly. When he didn't answer, I got up and walked over, poking him with a paw. "Ravenpaw?"

He started, looking up from his paws at me. "Oh. Hi Frogpaw."

"Are you alright," I asked again.

"Yeah, just tired," he mumbled.

"What did you and Tigerclaw do?" Graypaw asked from behind me, also sounding concerned.

"Not 'sposed to tell," Ravenpaw mumbled again. "I think I'm gonna go to sleep."

Then he staggered his way into the apprentice den, not even bothering to make a moss bed before he fell asleep.

"He's gonna be really stiff when he wakes up tomorrow," said Dustpaw, who had follow us.

"I wonder what Tigerclaw did to him," I said as I turned around and sat back down.

"No idea," said Dustpaw as he sat down himself. "I've just heard that his apprentices are never the same after his tests."

"Who told you that?" asked Graypaw curiously.

"Smallear," Dustpaw replied. "He knew Tigerclaw since he was a kit, and said that Thistleclaw gave him the same test, and he passed."

"So does that mean Ravenpaw failed?" Sandpaw wondered.

"You'll have to ask him," I said, and with that, we all feel into silence.

During this conversation, my mouse had gone unattended, so I set about skinning it using a claw. I didn't want to get any fur in my mouth after all. The mouse's skin just slid off it like it was paper wrapped around meat, and I made a quick meal out of it.

I looked around the camp, and noticed that Bluestar seemed to be in a meeting with what looked like all of her warriors. Curious, I got up.

"Where are you going?" asked Graypaw quizzically.

"I want to know what the warriors are saying," I said simply. "I'll sneak around the Highrock so they don't see me."

"Good luck," said Graypaw, who was still working on his thrush.

Sneaking around the Highrock wasn't that hard, as most of the warriors were preoccupied with the meeting, and a moment later I was in hearing range of Bluestar. Apparently I had caught her in the middle of a sentence.

"-report back?" Bluestar asked.

"Any minute now," growled Redtail. "I sent Longtail and Mousefur out to assess the situation as soon as Runningwind reported back. And with Lionheart's news of a Riverclan patrol between midday and dusk… I'm even more convinced Riverclan is trying to provoke a battle."

"Yes, that is concerning," said Bluestar worriedly. "For them to send extra patrols… it seems as it they are desperate to claim Sunning Rocks this time."

"It doesn't matter if they desperate or not," growled Tigerclaw. "Riverclan should know by now that Sunning Rocks is _ours_. What do they think they're trying to pull? They know we'll just beat them back again."

"Riverclan seems more devoted to this claim, more than usual," said Whitestorm thoughtfully. "They seem to be taking this more seriously than before. Perhaps they will devote more warriors to the battle. Maybe even Crookedstar himself could lead them, and if not him, Oakheart."

"What I want to know is why," said Bluestar, mostly to herself. "Thunderclan and Riverclan have fought over Sunning Rocks before, but it was never this serious. What could be driving them to try and deliberately provoke a battle?"

"Bah, we've always been at war over Sunning Rocks since before I was kitted," said Tigerclaw dismissively. "Riverclan are just taking it to the next level now."

"Riverclan are not just dumb brutes, Tigerclaw," said Spottedleaf reproachfully, whom I had not realized was there. "There is a reason behind everything they do."

Tigerclaw was prevented from replying by the arrival of Longtail and Mousefur.

"Redtail," said Longtail when he walked up. "It's worst than we thought. Riverclan are sending extra patrols, and seem to have a few cats occupying Sunning Rocks. When we arrived on the scene, we saw a patrol re-enforcing their position."

"They didn't just remark the place and leave?" said Redtail with a concerned tone.

"No, the patrol was still there when we left," Mousefur confirmed.

"So they really are trying to provoke a battle," said Bluestar worriedly.

"Should I organize a patrol to send them off?" asked Redtail.

Bluestar was silent for a moment. "No. We will send the normal midnight patrol, to give them a false sense of security. Then we will gather as many warriors as we can spare, and attack them just before dawn. By then they will be tired, and not expecting a battle."

"Good thinking, Bluestar," said Whitestorm approvingly. All of the other warriors seemed to nod as well, liking Bluestar's plan.

"In the meantime, I want an extra patrol to check the Shadowclan border," Bluestar continued. "It would be just like Shadowclan to attack us while we're distracted."

"I was at the Shadowclan border with Frogpaw earlier today," said Darkstripe. "We didn't see anyone, but I'm sure I smelt the fresh markers of the usual midday patrol."

"Still, just in case," said Bluestar resolutely. "We don't want to get caught with our tails down. Redtail, plan the patrol. Everyone else, get some sleep, we have a long night ahead of us."


	4. Apprenticeship 004

"Hey, Frogpaw! Get up, Darkstripe wants you," meowed Graypaw, prodding me with a paw.

I jerked, awaking with a start. After rubbing my eyes with a paw, I turned to glare at Graypaw, noticing it was still dark out.

"Why does he want me at this late a time?" I asked, blinking. "It's not even dawn yet!"

"You'll have to ask Darkstripe," Graypaw shrugged.

I sighed, standing up and giving my body a long, hard stretch, before padding out of the apprentice den. Looking up at the sky, I noticed that it was still night time, but there was a lot of clouds covering the stars. Was this a sign by Starclan, signaling their disapproval of the coming battle? I wasn't a medicine cat, so I couldn't say for sure.

Darkstripe was waking for me at the Highrock, and I noticed Whitestorm and Redtail were standing there with him.

"Frogpaw, you took your savory time getting up," said Darkstripe with a glare when he noticed me.

"Sorry," I replied. "I wasn't expecting to be awake so early."

"Nevermind that," He stated, indicating me to come closer with his tail. "Spottedleaf needs to collect herbs, and will need help carrying them back. You will go along with Sandpaw and Dustpaw to help her."

"You will be going along the border with Twoleg place," said Redtail, staring down at me with an inscrutable expression. "It will be your job to protect Spottedleaf while she is gathering herbs."

"I've been an apprentice for less than two days," I protested. "I don't even know how to fight yet!"

"Perhaps, but Sandpaw and Dustpaw do," Whitestorm pointed out. "If you do encounter an enemy Warrior, it will be your job to guard Spottedleaf while Sandpaw and Dustpaw engage the enemy."

"Oh. Ok, I can do that," I nodded, before frowning. "What about the fox?"

"Don't worry about that," said Darkstripe. "Redtail has already sent a team of warriors to chase it out."

Redtail and Whitestorm padded off without saying anything else. I noticed that they walked over to the gorse tunnel, where Tigerclaw and Mousefur had just arrived back at camp.

"Where are Sandpaw and Dustpaw, anyway?" I asked, turning my attention back to Darkstripe

"In the medicine den with Spottedleaf," he said dismissively. "You should get going there too."

I nodded, standing up to make my way to the medicine den, before Darkstripe stopped me.

"Wait, one last thing I forgot to tell you yesterday," he said, turning me around with his paw, before giving me a serious look. "Whatever happens, however our time as mentor and apprentice goes, I just have one standing order."

"Yes?" I asked, looking at him curiously.

"Don't embarrass me, and don't embarrass the clan," he said. "So long as you don't do that, we'll get along fine."

I blinked, surpised. That honestly wasn't what I expected. I was expecting an order like 'obey every order I give you' or 'worship Tigerclaw, for he is god' or something like that.

"Very well," I replied, nodding.

"Good," He nodded back. "Now go."

I didn't need anymore word than that, and padded over the medicine den. As Darkstripe said, Dustpaw and Sandpaw were already there. They seemed to be waiting while Spottedleaf tallied up all the herbs she needed.

"-and we're gonna need some more marigold for infection.." she was muttering when I walked up.

I had never been to this part of the camp before. It was a small grassy clearing surrounded by ferns. Near the back of the clearing was a great rock that had been split down the middle, large enough for a few cats to make their den inside of it, with some extra room for herb storage.

"Hey Sandpaw, Dustpaw," I said when I trotted up.

"Why are you here?" asked Sandpaw with a scrunched up nose.

"Redtail sent me," I said diffidently. "I'm supposed to help you with carrying herbs."

"Carrying herbs should be a job for you younger apprentices," said Dustpaw with a contemptuous look. "I don't understand why Redtail wont let us fight in the battle. How am I going to become a Warrior if he doesn't trust me?"

"I don't think any Apprentice is made a Warrior after just one moon of training," I pointed out. "You just have to be patient."

"Wise words for an apprentice," said Spottedleaf, who had emerged from the den, before turning to Dustpaw. "You will get your chance to prove yourself, Dustpaw. Don't worry."

"Yes, Spottedleaf," said Dustpaw despondently.

"Everyone here?" Spottedleaf said, looking around at us. "Yes? Alright, lets go."

Without another word, she dashed off, with us following in her wake.

OO

Surprisingly, the herb collection mission went off without a hitch, and when we got back to camp, I was carrying a stick covered in cobwebs in my mouth, while the other three had bundles of herbs in theirs.

After dumping the load back at the medicine den (Spottedleaf thanked us profusely), all I wanted to do was just go back to bed and sleep the coming day away. By Sandpaw's yawn and Dustpaw's slight stagger, I could tell they wanted to do the same. Thankfully it was still nighttime when we got back, but I noticed that the clouds had grown thicker. Was it going to rain? Had the battle taken place yet?

When I emerged from the frond tunnel that led to the medicine den, I was surpised to see that what seemed like every Warrior was in the camp, sitting in front of the Highrock, which Bluestar was sitting close to. It seemed that she was about to call a meeting for the whole clan.

"Good, your back," said Bluestar when she spotted us. "With the herbs you have gathered, I know that Spottedleaf will be prepared for any injury tonight."

"Thank you, Bluestar," I replied, sitting down.

Without another word, Bluestar turned and leapt up to sit on the Highrock. "Let all those cats old enough to catch their own pray join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting."

It almost didn't seem necessary for her to make the call, for almost every cat was already there, but Graypaw and Ravenpaw arrived from the apprentice den, and Tigerclaw and Mousefur arrived from the Warriors den. Spottedleaf arrived as well.

"You all know what tonight is about," Bluestar began. "Riverclan has staked a claim on Sunning Rocks, but tonight, we take it back!"

As if to punctuate her words, lightning suddenly flashed across the sky, and it started raining.

"Riverclan has devoted most of their Warriors to this offensive," Bluestar continued, undeterred. "So we must respond in kind. All of the apprentices will remain behind, as well as Longtail, Runningwind, and Darkstripe. Everyone else, you all know what we are fighting for. Sunning Rocks is _ours_, and Riverclan has no right to it!"

With those words, a great cheer rose up, and Bluestar leapt from the Highrock, running toward the gorse tunnel that led out of camp.

"Follow me!" She cried, and there was a great rush as almost every warrior followed her out of camp.

A moment later, the camp was almost empty, aside from the apprentices, and the warriors that had been left behind. And Spottedleaf.

"Well," I said, turning back to my den-mates. "Any of you know how to play blackjack?"


	5. Apprenticeship 005

As a cat, I hated rain. It drenched my fur and made my whiskers droop in a way that felt irritating. When I had been a child as a human, a rainy day meant I didn't have to feel guilty about staying inside to play video games all day. As an adult, it was a bit more annoying, as it meant I couldn't go anywhere, as I didn't have a car.

But as a cat? It was the worst, most annoying thing I had to put up with, made even worst by the fact that it was only just dawn in late Leafbare, so before long I was shivering the morning away.

"I suppose you three should go and get some rest in the apprentice den," said Darkstripe, who was standing nearby. He seemed unaffected by the rain and the chill. "We will wake you up if we need reinforcement."

"Thank Starclan," mewled a sleepy Sandpaw, who was shivering in the chilly rain next to me. "I was afraid I'd have to stand here in the cold rain all morning!"

Dustpaw just nodded, too stiff from the cold.

And so, the three of us stumbled over to the apprentice den, where it was a bit dryer, and we settled into a cold, fitful sleep, bundling up close to each other to conserve heat.

OO

It was a stillness in the air that woke me up what seemed like an hour later. The rain had stopped, and when I emerged from the apprentice den to look up at the sky, I noticed that the rain clouds had broken up, with blue sky appearing between them, getting brighter every moment.

Dawn had come and gone, so I walked over to where a narrow shaft of sunlight hit the ground. The sun warmed me up immensely. I looked around the camp, checking to see if any warriors had come back from the battle, but it seemed that the battle was still going on. Runningwind, Longtail, and Darkstripe were sharing tongues at the base of the Highrock in a pool of sunlight, and it seemed that none of them had noticed me.

I lowered my head to drink from a pool of rain water that had formed on the ground after the rain, and angled my head towards the gorse tunnel, where returning warriors would appear when the battle was over.

Willowpelt was the first to return. After her kits had become apprentices, she had decided to return to service as a warrior, but perhaps her skills were a bit rusty, as I noticed that her ear was mangled and she had a gash on her left shoulder.

Willowpelt immediately went over to Spottedleafs den when she arrived. I suspected she hadn't noticed me.

Whitestorm and Mousefur arrived next. They seemed relatively unharmed, but Whitestorm was limping, his hind paw had a bit of blood on it, and Mousefur was supporting him on that side. They too went straight for the medicine den.

Redtail bounded into the camp next, and he went straight to the Highrock, speaking to the three Warriors there. They got up, and Darkstripe padded over to me.

"Frogpaw, we're heading out to assist with the retreat," He said stiffly. "Wake up the other apprentices, and the queens as well. Tell the them to be on high alert for enemy warriors."

"Does that mean we lost?" I asked pensively.

"Redtail didn't say," Darkstripe replied shortly, padding off without another word.

I shrugged, and walked off to enact his orders.

The apprentices were difficult to wake up, as they were all still very tired. Of the five of us, only Graypaw and Ravenpaw didn't look dead on their feet. Sandpaw was so exhausted that she didn't even spare a snarky comment as they walked out of the den.

While they wandered off to sit next to the Highrock, I went over to the Queens den. It was only Frostfur, Brindleface, and Goldenflower left in the Queens den.

When I entered the den, Frostfur looked up sleepily. "Oh, hello Frogpaw, back already?"

"Not at all," I said calmly, stifling a yawn. "Redtail wants everyone up and on the alert for enemy warriors."

"Oh dear," said Goldenflower from nearby, looking at me with concern. "I take it that the battle didn't go well, then?"

"He didn't say," I said stiffly.

"Thank you, Frogpaw," said Brindleface crisply, her eyes blinking from sleep. "You've done your duty. Now get out."

I didn't need anymore warning than that.

After I emerged from the queens den, I noticed that more of the warriors had returned. Bluestar was back, and she was talking to Redtail and Lionheart near the Highrock. A moment later, Darkstripe and Longtail emerged from the gorse tunnel and padded over to Bluestar. The other apprentices were sitting nearby.

I wanted to get closer, to hear was Bluestar was staying, but she robbed me of that chance, for the next moment she turned and leapt up to the Highrock.

"Let all those cats old enough to catch their own pray join here beneath the Highrock for a Clan meeting," she called.

It didn't take long for everyone to arrive, as almost everyone was already there. I looked at Bluestar, wondering what she would say. It was pretty clear that Thunderclan had lost the battle. I wondered what Bluestar would have to say about that.

"Tigerclaw is dead."


End file.
